One Desire
by MournfulSeverity
Summary: Six months in, six months to celebrate. Lily thinks an island getaway is the right choice, but Severus begs to differ. Which tide will pull stronger in the end? One shot for Battleships 2019


**In my heart I have but one desire**

**And that one is you, no other will do**

**\- The Inkspots**

* * *

It really was quite unnecessary, the amount of baggage scattered around the hotel floor, the clothing that seemed to be under the gemino curse. It surprised him, how difficult it seemed to be a woman. Until this holiday, this time alone with her, Severus never would have suspected that being a woman was so hard. Or, rather, that they made it that way. He had been spared the horrors of makeup and an inability to decide on an outfit with a mother that simply didn't care.

This was his first glimpse into Lily's lifestyle, and part of him was terrified. It had taken him only seconds to pluck his own swim trunks from the growing pile of cloth, her pinks and yellows interspersed with his black. He wasn't entirely unconvinced that he had fallen into one of those horror films he had loved as a child. Perhaps that was it, he was sprawled on the tan – or what used to be tan – couch, the telly lighting up the dingy room with its inconsistent flickers. If that was the case, he would be spared the near nudity a swimsuit provided, sand entering crevices in which nothing should ever go, this hurricane Lily that had sprung to life in front of him, and the sun, the unforgiving rays that threatened to burn his pale flesh.

There couldn't possibly be a worse place on earth.

But, that wasn't true. Lily's mere presence erased all the negatives he tended to dwell on. With her, he saw the world in shades of pink he hadn't dared to believe existed. He sneered. It was this infuriating thing called love that he of all people had fallen victim to.

He turned from the chaos she had created in seconds with his trunks bunched in one hand, his steps carrying him to the bathroom. They had had an agreement. This island would bring them closer together than he dared to imagine. They existed in a world of innocence with one another, never letting things go too far, no matter how badly they wanted them to. That meant she had been spared the nauseating view of him in all his glory – if it could be called that. No, that would wait until tonight. And so, he stepped into the bathroom, dressing himself there while he suspected she did the same in the other room.

He groaned at the mirror that hung on the wall, much too large, and showing far too much of him for his taste. Why people were so obsessed with their looks, he would never know. He could do without seeing this view ever again.

He trained his eyes on the linoleum floor, on the black growth in the corner he was positive was mold, as he slipped the trunks over his gawky being, onto his boney hips. Severus drew a hand across his stomach, concave beneath his ribs. He could count them all, through the pallid skin of his abdomen, his chest. He felt his insecurity take the shape of nausea, rooting itself into his being. Perhaps there was another reason he hated his reflection.

It was carpet beneath him next, dressed in his suit – black, of course – he had left the bathroom, had returned to her presence. Severus paused in his steps. Her vibrant hair was twisted over one shoulder so that it fell across her chest, her arms bent behind her back as her fingers fumbled to form a knot. He found himself moving towards her before the thought had fully formed, found himself worming his way through the maze of clothing she had created, found her skin, soft, beneath his fingers as he took the tie from her hands.

He pulled the red strands tight, his hands brushing the hollow of her back. He wrapped them once, twice, pulling tight to secure the fabric against her breasts, even if he was anxious to see what lay beneath. When his own hands fell from her, she faced him, her eyes crinkling with the smile that was stretched across her lips.

Her palm came to his chest, resting against his sternum, her body flush against his, as she tilted her head back to meet his eyes. He was tempted to forgo the agreement there and then, to shove her against the wall, across a table, a bed, any surface as long as he was with her. Severus felt his erection growing and he twisted his hips, desperate to make it less noticeable, to prevent it from pressing into her and give him away so easily.

"Sunscreen." The warmth of her left him far too soon, and even if it was temporary, he craved her return. It was then, when she was several paces away, that she looked him up and down and he shifted beneath her gaze. "I'm surprised you aren't wearing a wetsuit. It covers more."

"And leaves little to the imagination." He had no desire to appear as if he had smuggled a banana (if he could be so kind to himself) and a couple cherries down to the beach. If – or rather – when she excited him again, things could only grow worse.

She came closer to him again, the orange bottle of sunblock held tight in one hand, although she seemed to have forgotten it. "I wouldn't mind." Her voice was a purr, further solidifying his reasoning. He pulled the bottle from her hand, a distraction if nothing else, waving it in front of her face. Severus opened it, squirting a generous amount into his hand. With a white glob at the tip of his fingers, he rubbed it just beneath her collarbone, against the beginning curves of her chest. Without any sign of protest from Lily, he worked it in, running his hand along the exposed trail of her cleavage.

"Sev," she began, her voice lilting with a laughter she tried to hide. "If you keep massaging it in, it won't provide any protection."

"We'll just have to stay in, then. Beneath the safety of the bed clothes and out of reach from the sun." He lowered his lids, his voice dropping with it. "We wouldn't want you getting burned."

"And we wouldn't want you missing out on any experiences. We're leaving the hotel." She glowered, and he knew he had lost.

"Wasn't the flight enough?" He fought the whine from creeping into his voice as he covered her stomach next, her sides. "I still don't understand why we couldn't take a port key."

"Magic isn't the only option." Lily scoffed, not really answering his question.

"No," he frowned. "But, it is the easiest, and the cheapest." He reached around her as he spoke, the sunscreen coating her back, her shoulders. And she said nothing. It was the beginning of a fight they had had on more than one occasion and it ended just the same as the others had: with no real answers.

It was his turn. He drew in a sharp breath at the touch of her hands, the sensation sparking across his skin. She covered him like it was the most normal thing in the world. Her hands didn't stumble across the ridges that had been made in his skin so long ago, the dents where the buckle of his father's belt had crossed his flesh. Somehow, in the time they had known each other, she had grown used to the idea. It had culminated to the point where it was insignificant. A page of his book that wasn't any more important than the rest. While he had been lost in these thoughts, she had finished. He found that his father had stolen another moment from him.

Severus closed the space between them, his body flush with hers despite the grease that covered them. His arm came around her back, pressing her tighter against him. He could feel the warmth of her breath fluttering against his chest. With his free hand, he cupped Lily's cheek, this thumb tracing the freckles that dotted her cheekbones, crossed the bridge of her nose. And she kissed him, her breath sweet despite their hours of cramped travel. He didn't want to let her go, didn't want to wander to the beach, didn't want to share her presence with others, and when she pulled away, he was disappointed.

"Did you bring your pail and shovel?" He joked, drawing a set of towels into his arms. When his eyes found her again, she was indeed holding them. The plastic bucket dangling from her wrist. "You aren't honestly going to build a sandcastle?" He mocked, his lips finding the shape of a smile.

"A sand Hogwarts." She clarified; her head held high. "Haven't you ever built one before?"

He exhaled quickly through his nose, the closest thing to laughter he usually gave. His arms folded over his chest, wondering who this was in front of him and when they had polyjuiced into Lily. He had never been to a place where such an activity was possible, nevertheless, it wasn't his only reason. "I am not a child."

Standing close beside him again, Lily pulled his arm from its crossed position, inspecting it, inspecting all of him. "I'm not convinced you've ever been one. Merely a sixty-year-old man trapped inside the body of one." The humor stretched on her lips faded, the wildfire burning in her green eyes dimming alongside it. "It is okay to live a little, too…" Her voice faded, her lip coming between her teeth.

So that's what this was, what it had always been. Severus had found the idea of travelling to an island – by any manner, magical or otherwise – a bit extreme for nothing more than sex. But, it wasn't about the sex at all.

"I've lived." It was the truth. In many ways, he'd lived more than most. Even if his memories were painted with red. "Architecture constructed of dirt never factored into it." He ignored the connotations behind it, knowing it had nothing to do with castle.

There was nothing she could say; they both knew it. These were words that had been uttered in shadowed moments many times before, always a bit different, but the meaning remained. And the fact of the matter was, she wouldn't understand. So instead, she leaned forward, kissing him slowly one final time.

Lily separated just enough to speak; her words murmured against his lips. "I know you aren't excited to be here, but I'm determined to make you enjoy it."

No, the ocean, the sunshine didn't spark joy inside him, but he was happy to be here, with her.

With her back straight, her chain raised, she turned. The dignity she tried to display was erased by the slapping of her sandals as she stalked away from him. Severus followed after, giving a shake of his head and a finale exhale of near laughter.

He walked the halls of the hotel with a towel hung over his shoulders, held close against his chest. In front of him, Lily walked in nothing more than her crimson bikini. They continued this way to the beach, with her walking proudly and him stalking behind like a creature dredged from the depths of his cave.

* * *

It was a painting; Lily was sure of it. The aquamarine stained with marmalade hues that stretched out in front of her. It wasn't like the oceans back home, the dark water that swirled with dirt, seaweed, discarded bits of trash. Here, everything was clear. Even the sand couldn't bother to move with the gentle rolling of waves as the sea stretched her fingers toward the shore.

The water curled around Lily's toes, trying to pull her inwards. And, she was so tempted to answer the call, to obey the whisper of the ocean that was a caress against her skin.

"Sev." She turned toward him, her back to the waterline. Her sandals had been abandoned farther up the beach for she had been anxious to feel the sand beneath her, the warmth of the ending day radiating throughout her. "Join me."

She stepped back further into the water, cool as it swirled about her ankles. There was one way, she had learned, to get him to do what she wanted. The promise of something more. And here, in this world away from their own, she was ready to give it all. He knew it. That's what this place was about. This escape in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean was really just a charade. A way to transform their first night away together into their first night together. What better time for them to become one than over their six-month anniversary? She wondered if he remembered.

She continued deeper still, the salt of the water hugging her skin.

The moment of defeat was palpable as it crossed his face, his mouth turning for the briefness of a second into an unflattering pout. Somehow, beyond the eight hours they had spent getting here, defying logic in a floating metal tube, this had become the worst moment for him.

She was sure his fingernails had left permanent impressions in the cloth of the airplane seat. He had gripped the armrests as if staying amongst the clouds depended on it, muttering about portkeys under his breath all the while.

The flight – which for him had been quite horrific – had been beaten by sand. She wasn't sure Severus would survive this trip, and she was confused why he had agreed with it to begin with. But, he obeyed like she knew he would.

In this relationship, he was drawn towards her, pulled by the magnetic force inside of her. She supposed; he always had been. That perhaps the steel he was made of couldn't fight her pull long before they became more than just friends.

And it could be seen now, as his own shoes were abandoned beside hers, the towels, the pail and shovel beside it. His weight shifted upon the hills of sand as he traced the trails in the ground that she had made. The ones that would lead him to her. She chuckled at the sight of him, at the swimsuit that ended just before his pale knees. The skin that glowed brightly in the sun. "I was unaware your trunks came with reflective pant legs."

He paused, momentarily confused, because he knew that they, in fact, didn't. It took only one quick glance down for his blank expression to turn into a glower. "The sun isn't as kind to me as it is you."

It was the truth; she had witnessed it. They had gone to the lake once, when they were kids, though he had never touched the water that rippled against the shore. Severus had thought himself protected in the long sleeves of his mother's clothes, his too long pants, and the trainers that covered his feet. Never once had he considered what was exposed. While she had left that day with the slightest of tans – a considerable feat for her redhead complexion – he had left in a shade akin to a watermelon. His face, the nape of his neck, had been the subject of jokes for weeks to come.

But, that had been years ago. The memory now fuzzy around the edges. That had been before the friendship between them grew heavy, weighed down by expectations. And this man that stood in front of her was only a shadow of the boy she had known.

He himself was the ocean. Wild, destructive, and at other moments a deadly calm. She had been entranced by his swirling waters from the beginning. Had been too easily sucked into his current. At one point, she was afraid she might drown, but he had always kept her afloat. In the end, everything that he had done was to keep her head above water.

Or maybe it was her. She was the rushing water of the river and he the unyielding rock. Every little fight that she thought had meant nothing, every attempt to save him when he seemed so lost. Somehow, without either of them realizing it, she had worn away his hard exterior until only what was beautiful, what was good, remained.

Lily supposed she was doing it now. The water of a new place washing over him, a place she had been determined for him to experience. A place that would sand his rough edges a little more. Here, in the middle of the sea, life seemed so much easier. There simply wasn't room for magic.

There were experiences one had inside an airplane, crammed with other people that you couldn't get out of a port key. Stars magicked across a ceiling wasn't the same as gazing at the real thing. Severus had forgotten that, had been determined to leave his muggle past behind, but she would never let that happen.

And so, as he stood in front of her, his own swimsuit plastered against him from the weight of the water, she found that maybe it would be easier than she thought.

She kissed him in the low light, in the deep reds that flickered off the sea. She wound her tongue around his, her hands pressed hungrily to his chest. He pushed against her, anxious for more. His hands dipped beneath the fabric of her swimsuit, both cupping her arse as he tried to draw her closer.

She thought about it too. About rubbing her hands against his abdomen, his pelvis, about her fingers slipping beneath the waist of his trunks. Would there be hair? Or would he have rid himself of that in preparation? Had he been prepared for this for months? She found herself wondering about the size of him, too.

She had felt his erection more than once, had seen the outline of it in his trousers, but it was still only a guess. A guess she needed a proper answer too.

And his mouth was so warm, so inviting. His breath hot against her, scentless. His movements were rough, and Lily knew he wanted more. Could tell so by more than just his mouth. But now wasn't the place, as much as she would like it to be.

"Sev," she breathed against him, her voice painfully pleading. Her hand pushed against his chest, tangled in the black hair that covered it. "There are children."

He stopped. They would have to wait, and they both knew it.

"Fuck this bloody ocean." His words cut across her skin. It wasn't the reaction she had expected. "It'll be here tomorrow, and the adventures in it can wait. My desire to fuck you, however, cannot."

Had her own thoughts not betrayed her, not left her wet with desire, she might have protested. That, however, was not the case.

It was growing dark, the orange which had been replaced by red would soon turn violet and the glittering of the water would expand to the sky. Night was upon them and the families would be leaving the beach, the children retiring to bed. Soon enough, it would just be them.

"Then let's find an alcove." It would be easy enough, with the trees that lined the shore. The cliffs on either side of them. She gripped his hand, and soon they were running – or were as close as they could come. The water sprayed in droplets on their skin, wetting them as she dragged Severus behind her.

She was thankful for the clear water then, the ability to spot what lie ahead of her, to keep her from stepping on seaweed or a potential jellyfish. That didn't, however, keep her from losing her footing. Lily found herself falling, her hand rather than leaving his, pulling him beside her.

They were there together, beneath the rolling waves of the growing tide. Her head reached the surface of the salty water and she inhaled, bringing forth laughter as well. Laughter that Severus shared, his black hair now wet, strands strewn across his face. She was sure she looked the same, her own red hair soaked. And they laughed.

There was such a freedom in the way he did it, a laugh she had never heard come from him before. A sound she hadn't been sure he could make until this moment. And she didn't want to stop it. She wanted to hear that sound forever. But, she couldn't help but snog him senseless. Couldn't help herself as she hovered above him in the shallow water, the edges of her breasts brushing against his skin.

"It's just there." Severus mumbled against her, pausing what was to take place, what she didn't want to stop. She groaned, following his finger reluctantly. But, it was. A stretch of sand hidden beneath vines, behind rocks, just out of view. She only had to wait a little longer.

He shimmied out from beneath her, his grip coming to her waist, lifting her into the air. He rested a hand beneath her upper back, the other behind her knees as he took slow steps through the water, careful not to fall again.

"Let's play a game." He said. She noticed the simper on his face as they reached their hiding place, as she was lowered to the ground. "Severus says." Her own mouth twisted into a smirk as he continued, laying out the instructions. He hovered over her, his palms and knees on the ground. "You'll do whatever I ask. The safe word is Galleon."

He was confident, it was laid plainly across his features. The fall in the water had washed her Severus away and brought her someone else. "Galleon. So, I'll think about money while you fuck me?"

"No, no, that's the safe word. I would hope you don't have to think about it at all." He straightened, only kneeling on the sand now, giving himself a view of her. "Severus says, take off your top."

_You'll do whatever I ask_. That was the command, but never had he specified the speed. She would take her time. This was his little game, but she would play by her own rules. Lily arched her back, reaching her hands beneath her. She fumbled with the knot, slipping a finger inside to pull it loose before she paused, each movement taking seconds longer than it should. She watched the impatience on his face as she slowly pulled the strands apart, leaving the fabric of her bikini loose against her chest.

With her hands no longer beneath her, she crossed her arms over her front, grabbing hold of the fabric and pulling it off her. Her breasts were bare, unsupported, and he gripped one, rubbing his thumb along her areola, before stopping at the tip of her nipple. He left it there, her turn for the teasing she supposed.

But, she could feel the callous that had formed on his thumb from years of potion making, the rough skin of his hands only making this experience better. He wound it in a half circle, his thumb running back and forth. She squirmed beneath him, biting down on her lip to prevent any noise.

"Severus says," he began again, his voice husky. "Play with yourself while I remove your bottoms."

She obeyed, pinching both of her own nipples tightly between her fingers, her back lifting slightly from the sand in response. As she fondled her own breasts, she felt Severus' hands brush against her sides, a finger hooking beneath either side of her bikini bottoms, dragging them further down her hips. She had been prepared for this, had been prepared for weeks. As a result, a pleasured murmur was pulled from Severus' lips.

Next, the tips of his fingers ran along the insides of her thighs. Her body tensed, releasing with each felt the removal of his fingers, the flesh of her legs grow wet, his mouth pressed there instead. He worked his way up, pressing a kiss against her with each centimeter of movement. He had started just above her knee, alternating between kisses and gentle bites. Severus stopped only when he reached the beginning of her pelvis. His mouth was somewhere else entirely, rubbing against her clit, sucking the salt of the ocean off her.

"Severus." She gasped, her own movements pausing on her chest in distraction.

"Galleon?" He asked, pulling away from her, his voice hinted with worry.

"No, merlin, no. But, I'm going to cum if you keep doing that."

"Precisely my reasoning."

"Severus." She said again, more insistent than before. "I would rather do it with you inside of me." She propped herself up on her elbows, looking at him between her legs. "This seems awfully unfair with only one of us undressed. How can I possibly return the favor this way?"

He watched her, his mind momentarily lost in thought, fuzzed by carnal desires. "Severus says, take off my pants." He smirked at her, as if he expected her to say no. She would never dream of such a disappointment. She wanted him.

Lily sat, her hand brushing against the white tie that hung on the front of his shorts. She made to grip it, when instead, her hand pressed against the erection visible beneath the wet cloth. She rubbed her hand against it, up and down, watching his hands clench and unclench as if he couldn't decide if he should stop her. Finally, she undid it, doing the same that he had done to her by brushing her hands against his hips, gently forcing the clothing down.

What she revealed was substantial, more than substantial. She waited only long enough for him to untangle his legs from the trunks, depositing them beside her own clothing and kneeling again.

"Severus Snape naked. I never thought I'd see the day." She didn't wait for a command, her hands coming to his cock instead. She wrapped one around the base of his cock, the other sliding between his legs, beneath his balls. She leaned forward, her tongue making circles around his head before drawing him into her mouth. She sucked, her tongue running along his dick as she did so. With her other hand, she continued to rub him, varying from perineum to sack and back.

She felt his body relax beneath her touch, heard him moan her name. "Severus says stop." It was a groan more than anything, the words like spikes against his throat. She suspected it took all his willpower to say them. "Lie back."

Sucking one last time, she did. His hands came to the ground beside her shoulders when suddenly, he was inside of her, thrusting against her. A line of pleasure ran from her belly button to the lips of her vulva. She shivered with each thrust. Her moans grew louder, echoing through the trees that blocked them from view. Her hands wound around his neck, squeezed his arse, dove through his hair. She simply couldn't find a place to keep them as he moved in circles inside of her, spelling something with his hips she could have never guessed.

That was when the tingling began, at the base of her spine. It spread up her, burning along every nerve before spreading down her legs, through her pelvis. She felt the shaking begin, the uncontrollable spasming of her legs, the quickening of her already hastened breath. "Sev." She forced from her lips as the orgasm took control, the tide inside of her rising.

She was unable to focus on anything other than his face hovering above hers. His lips met hers, silencing any words she could have said, snogging her as the climax dimmed. His lips paused, hardened on hers as his attention was drawn elsewhere. She felt him tense, his muscles growing hard as they brushed against her, as he reached a climax of his own.

He relaxed on top of her then, his body going limp momentarily. As he left, the touch between them ending, she felt an ache grow inside of her. A need to have him beside her. Her intention with this trip had been for him to enjoy it, and given the grin stretched across his features beneath the trees and glittering sky, she was sure he had.


End file.
